VACANCIES: 14 PHD Positions in Cultural Heritage - Cultural Heritage Outreach in RomAnce Languages (MSCA CoFund) (DEADLINE 17 JAN 2026)

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Presentation

• Selected candidates will be enrolled in PhD programmes under joint supervision, awarding a double degree and requiring international mobility.

• High-Quality Training: Receive expert-led research training through the UNITA Alliance’s dedicated Cultural Heritage Hub, encompassing diverse fields within and beyond cultural heritage.

• Comprehensive Support: Benefit from dedicated guidance from the initial stages of your PhD to professional integration.

• Transformative Impact: Contribute to the socio-economic and cultural transformation of rural and cross-border mountain territories.

• Financial Support: Includes travel, mobility, and research costs.

• Double Degree: Graduate with a double degree from two European universities.

• Funding: 3-year fully funded PhDs, starting autumn 2026

How to Apply

• A CV (template provided) that includes all personal information, education background, research activities (if any) and information about two referees

• Two Reference letters (in a single PDF file): each referee will submit a letter concerning the applicant’s previous research activities and the applicant's research capacity and working experience

• A personal statement (template provided - maximum of 5 pages) that includes general motivation letter for participation in CHORAL and the research topic, qualifications and achievements, career development objectives, collaboration requested beyond higher education sector for short stays

• An ethics and security issues self-assessment

• A copy of the Master’s degree and academic transcripts translated into English; Candidates waiting for their diploma to be officially issued must submit their marks and rankings

• Copies of certificates of English language proficiency (for non-English native speaking applicants): Cambridge First Certificate or equivalent, TOEIC, TOEFL, a certificate of your Master’s university attesting the English

• Copies of a valid identity card (for EU citizens) or a valid passport (for visa application if selected)

• A declaration on honour (template provided) about the conformity of the mobility information

Fellowship conditions

• France: 2300€/month

• Italy: 2270€/month

• Spain: 2164€/month

• Romania: 2740€/month

• Mobility allowance up to 4500 € over the 3-year period to partially cover travels, accommodation, etc. linked to secondments for the project duration.

• Conference allowance up to 3500 € over the 3-year period of the PhD, to cover expenses related to the travel for attendance or participation to conferences, workshops.

• Research allowance of 5000€ over the 3 years to cover expenses related to the research;

Scientific coordination

• Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour (UPPA - France)

• Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB - France)

• Università degli studi di Torino (UNITO - Italy)

• Universidad de Zaragoza (UNIZAR - Spain)

• Università degli Studi di Brescia (UNIBS - Italy)

• Universitatea Transilvania din Brașov (UNITBV - Roumania)

As part of the UNITA Alliance, 14 excellent Doctoral Candidates (DCs) will enrol the CHORAL programme in Cultural Heritage.

UNITA is an alliance of twelve universities supported by the European Union. Launched in November 2020, the alliance is helping to build the European Higher Education area. The partner universities, all of which are in Romance-speaking countries, have in common that they are located in mountainous and border areas.

Coordinated by the Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, CHORAL (Cultural Heritage Outreach in RomAnce Languages) is a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme co-funded by the European Union. This prestigious programme is linked to the Cultural Heritage Hub, an international research network within the Alliance, which structures its research ecosystem facing cultural related challenges.

CHORAL aims to train high-quality international researchers and to nurture the development of interdisciplinary, international and inter-sectoral research that addresses any aspect of Cultural Heritage. While rooted in cultural heritage, the programme spans a wide range of scientific domains, including architecture, anthropology, arts and culture, computer science, history, literature, linguistics, management, musicology and more.

Applications are open until January 17, 2026 for 14 grants on multiple PhD research topics in 6 Universities of the UNITA Alliance for fully funded 3-years PhDs, starting on autumn 2026 : https://aap.univ-pau.fr 

The application form should contain all the following mandatory documents:

Detailed information about the PhD Research Topics and the conditions to apply: https://www.research.univ-unita.eu/en/choral-project.html

CHORAL fellows will benefit from the following advantages:

The monthly gross salary will depend on the recruiting country. The following list presents an indicative gross salary after employers' taxation, provided as guidance. The salary gross amount may be subject to changes corresponding to taxes increases/decreases 

The net salary amount may be subject to changes and corresponding personal tax position.

20 PhD Research Topics for 14 positions in 6 universities within the UNITA Alliance.

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